FRANCAIS

February 18, 2003

A provincial action plan to help protect Lake Winnipeg, including the establishment of a new Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Board and new regulations to help maintain forests and vegetation along the Red and Assiniboine rivers, was announced today by Conservation Minister Steve Ashton.

"Including opposition to the controversial Garrison Diversion project which threatens to environmentally damage the Red River Watershed, our government is committed to ensuring that all possible measures are taken to maintain the quality and safety of one of our most valuable natural resources," said Ashton.

Action under the six-point plan includes:

• establishment of a Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Board to help Manitobans identify further actions necessary to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous to pre-1970 levels in the lake by 13 per cent or more, subject to further findings of the Nutrient Management Strategy;
• introduction of new measures to help protect natural growth along the Red and Assiniboine rivers to prevent erosion and reduce nutrient run-off into the rivers to complement the Riparian Areas Tax Credit introduced in 2001;
• provision of a program to expand soil testing to ensure appropriate fertilizer application in both rural and urban settings;
• introduction of a new sewage and septic field regulation that will outline clear standards for the placement of systems;
• development of a shoreline protection project in partnership with Manitoba Hydro to help address erosion concerns; and
• commencement of cross-border nutrient management discussions.

"Since 1999, $75 million has been spent on improving flood protection, drainage and drinking water safety," said Ashton. "The province will continue to work with communities to strengthen local planning including increasing the number of conservation districts provincewide, a number which has already grown from nine to 16 in just three years."

Ashton noted that, as part of the province’s work on developing a long-term water strategy, numerous water-related initiatives already underway include:

• introducing the Riparian Tax Credit which encourages the elimination of tillage and the limitation of grazing by livestock on lands adjacent to rivers and streams;
• initiating a Nutrient Management Strategy to determine science based targets for nitrogen and phosphorus;
• launching the Livestock Stewardship Initiative to ensure the sustainable development of the livestock industry including improving decision-making for land-use planning;
• setting up an Assiniboine River Study to examine how much water flow is required to maintain healthy aquatic life;
• introducing the Pesticides and Fertilizers Control Act which mandates the certification and training of commercial manure applicators for manure nutrient management planning; and
• becoming the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce drinking water legislation including establishing a central Office of Drinking Water.

Nutrients--mainly nitrogen and phosphorus--are essential for healthy water systems. However, when they are present in excessive amounts, they lead to the nuisance growth of algae and underwater plants which are primarily nitrogen and phosphorus derived from organic and inorganic waste.

Lake Winnipeg is the 10^th largest freshwater body in the world, covering 24,000 square kilometres. It serves a variety of recreation and commercial uses including fishing, angling and boating as well as providing a unique habitat for fish and organisms.

Ashton added that the new Lake Winnipeg Stewardship Board will work with the Clean Environment Commission to implement the action plan to ensure public involvement.

"In addition to the initiatives announced today, we will continue to work with industries and municipalities to improve their waste water treatment systems and continue to tighten environmental licence requirements for nutrients as supported by ongoing scientific studies."

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